No. 12 @RazorbackGym Looks for 2-0 SEC Start at No. 19 Auburn

BY Razorback Communications

AUBURN, Ala. – After an electric come-from-behind win last weekend, the No. 12-ranked University of Arkansas gymnastics team will seek its first 2-0 start in the Southeastern Conference in three years, as they travel to Auburn University to take on the 19th-ranked Tigers. Start time from Auburn Arena is slated for 7 p.m. and will be broadcasted live on the SEC Network + via ESPN3.com and the Watch ESPN app.

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The Matchup
Arkansas comes into Friday’s meet as the 12th-ranked team in the nation according the Gyminfo Rankings with an average score of 195.613. The Razorbacks have posted the third-best scoring average in the floor exercise nationally with a 49.288 through two meets. They are also tied for the seventh-best average on the vault with fellow SEC member, LSU, as the two squads boast a 49.238. Arkansas also comes into Friday’s meet as the 21st-ranked team on the uneven bars with a 48.788 and tied for 33rd on the balance beam with a 48.300

For Auburn, they enter the meet as the 19th-ranked team in the nation with a 149.900 average score through two meets. The Tigers are tied for 17th in the uneven bars with a 48.813 and tied for 19th in the floor exercise with a 48.825. Auburn is also No. 23 in the nation on the balance beam (48.563) and No. 31 on the vault with a 48.700 average.

The Last Time Out
The Razorbacks are coming off its first victory over a top 10 team in over a year, as they defeated No. 6 Alabama, 196.325-196.175, in Barnhill Arena last Friday. Arkansas was able to overcome a 1.3-point deficit entering the final rotation thanks to a floor exercise lineup that posted a school record 49.600 in its turn. Sophomore Amanda Wellick delivered the meet-clinching performance, as she scored a career-high 9.950 from the anchor slot of the floor lineup to clinch the victory.

Auburn fell at No. 3 Florida, 197.200-195.650, in the SEC opener last Friday in the O’Connell Center. Junior All-American Caitlin Atkinson won the all-around title with a 39.500 and the event title for beam with a 9.925.

Auburn Series
Arkansas holds a slim 13-12 leave over Auburn in a series that dates back to the inaugural 2003 season. The Tigers claimed a 195.550-194.900 victory over the Razorbacks at last year’s SEC Championship. Auburn has won the last four meetings between the two schools.

Gymnasts to Watch
Sophomore Amanda Wellick is coming off her first career SEC Gymnast of the Week honor, as she shared the title with LSU’s Jessie Jordan. The Wheaton, Ill., native won three event titles to help Arkansas upset No. 6 Alabama in Barnhill Arena. Wellick captured a share of the vault title, as her and teammate Heather Elswick each posted a 9.950 on the vault, and won the floor exercise and all-around titles outright with a 9.950 and 39.475 respectively. All three scores were a career-best for Wellick and the three event titles pushed her total to four on the year (1 vault, 1 floor, 2 all-around). Currently, Wellick is currently tied for fourth nationally on the floor exercise with a 9.913, tied for 10th on the vault (9.900) and Is 25th in the all-around with a 39.137.

Junior All-American Caitlin Atkinson is coming off her first all-around title of the 2015 season, as she posted a 39.500 at No. 3 Florida last Friday. She also captured the balance beam title with a 9.925 against the Gators. On the year, the All-American has won four event titles (1 vault, 2 beam, 1 all-around). Atkinson comes into the meet ranked sixth nationally on the balance beam and 23rd in the all-around.

Auburn Arena Success
Friday’s meet will be the seventh time these two schools will faceoff at Auburn Arena. The Razorbacks and Tigers are tied up at 3-3 in meets at Auburn.

A 2-0 Conference Start
The Razorbacks will be seeking its first 2-0 start in the SEC since 2012. That year, Arkansas defeated No. 13 Kentucky and No. 25 LSU to start 2-0 and finished 3-3 in conference play that season.

SEC Gymnast of the Week
On Tuesday the Southeastern Conference named sophomore Amanda Wellick the SEC Co-Gymnast of the Week with LSU’s Jesse Jordan. Wellick posted a career-high on the vault (9.950), floor exercise (9.950) and the all-around (39.475) to win an event title in all three events.

Floor Dominance
Arkansas opens Week Three of the gymnastics season at No. 3 in the floor exercise. It is the team’s highest ranking in any event this season. The floor lineup produced four 9.925-plus scores last Friday against No. 6 Alabama en route to setting a school record 49.600 in the rotation. Sophomore Amanda Wellick is currently tied for fourth on the floor with an average score of 9.313, while classmate Samantha Nelson is tied for 15th and junior Heather Elswick is tied for 25th.

Sticking Their Landing
The Razorbacks come into Friday’s meet as tied for No. 7 on vault in the nation with an average score of 49.238. Arkansas has three gymnasts, Heather Elswick, Leah MacMoyle and Amanda Wellick tied for 10th in the nation (9.900).

A Career-High Dozen
Last Friday, the Razorbacks had a gymnasts either establish or tie 12 career-best scores in the 196.325-196.175 upset victory over No. 6 Alabama.

Racking Up The Event Titles
Arkansas captured four of the five event titles en route to a victory over No. 6 Alabama in Barnhill Arena last Friday. Sophomore Amanda Wellick won three event titles on the night, as she was the co-vault champion with teammate Heather Elswick and won the floor exercise and all-around outright. Senior All-American, Stephani Canizaro, also won her first career uneven bars title against the Crimson Tide.

For more information on Arkansas gymnastics, follow @RazorbackGym on Twitter.